Economy Archives - Robert Lansing Institute

Exhaustion Versus Innovation: Russia’s Economic Constraints and the Future of the War in Ukraine

Recent statements by U.S. representatives at the United Nations signal a notable shift in Washington's messaging toward Moscow. Rather than focusing exclusively on military developments, U.S. officials increasingly emphasize the…

June 23, 2026Russia, Ukraine

Economy Geoeconomics Geopolitics National Security

The Potash Trap for Washington: How Minsk and Moscow Are Seeking to Leverage U.S. Interest in the Nezhinsky Potash Project to Undermine the Sanctions Regime

In December 2025 and again in March 2026, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) eased certain restrictions affecting Belarus's potash sector and selected financial institutions. Reuters…

June 8, 2026Belarus, Russia, Sanctions, USA

Economy Geoeconomics Governance

Denmark’s Sanctions Loophole: How Fayard Helps Sustain Russia’s Arctic LNG Fleet

Despite the tightening of EU sanctions policy and public criticism from the Danish government, one of Europe’s largest shipyards—the Danish shipbuilding company Fayard—continues to service ice-class LNG carriers that facilitate…

June 2, 2026Denmark, Russia, Sanctions

Economy Geoeconomics

From Georgia to Armenia: Russia’s Use of Economic Warfare to Preserve Regional Influence

Russia’s Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (“Rospotrebnadzor”) announced the suspension of sales and the withdrawal from circulation in Russia of wines and cognacs produced…

May 25, 2026Armenia, Georgia, Russia

Economy Geoeconomics Geopolitics

Tajikistan’s Strategic Pivot Toward China: Consequences for Russia and the Future Balance of Power in Central Asia

President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon held a meeting with executives and representatives of Chinese companies, during which the parties discussed expanding trade and investment cooperation and launching new joint projects. Dushanbe is intensifying…

May 13, 2026China, Russia, Tajikistan, USA

Conflict Economy Energy Geoeconomics Geopolitics

The Russian Factor in the Middle East War:Economic Parasitism and the Kremlin’s Destabilization Strategy

The war in the Middle East around Iran has become not only a regional conflict but also an instrument of global economic and geopolitical competition. The primary beneficiary of this instability…

April 30, 2026China, Iran, Russia, USA

Economy

Fragmenting Finance: Russia’s ‘Mir’ System and the Erosion of U.S. Financial Dominance

Russia is advancing the expansion of its payment infrastructure through the “National Payment Card System Mir,” positioning it as an alternative for use in Angola. The initiative is not merely technical…

April 14, 2026Russia, USA

Economy Geoeconomics Geopolitics

Budapest’s Backchannel: How Hungary Allegedly Helped Russia Undermine EU Sanctions

At the direction of Vladimir Putin, Budapest has been lobbying for the lifting of sanctions against Russian oligarchs. An audio recording from 2024 has surfaced online, confirming that Hungarian Foreign…

April 1, 2026Hungary, Russia, Usmanov

Conflict Economy Energy Warfare

Behind Iran’s Strikes: Russia’s Covert Role in Targeting the Gulf”

Russia’s partnership with Iran has evolved from opportunistic cooperation into a systemic military–technological alliance that directly shapes the balance of power in the Middle East. While Tehran executes kinetic operations, Moscow increasingly…

March 27, 2026Iran, oil, Russia

Economy Energy Geoeconomics

Russia’s Vietnam Play: A Growing Challenge to U.S. Sanctions and Indo-Pacific Strategy

Russia’s push to expand energy cooperation with Vietnam is not a transactional economic move, but part of a systemic strategy to rebuild global leverage under sanctions pressure. By embedding itself in…

March 24, 2026Russia, USA, Vietnam